Brick By Brick
by mandaree1
Summary: (2007 movieverse) Even the strongest of walls can be torn down.


**Disclaimer: I don't own any version/form of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles**

**Title: Brick By Brick**

**Summary: (2007 movieverse) Even the strongest of walls can be torn down.**

**Setting: 2007 movieverse, post-movie**

**Warnings: A couple of curse words, a slight mention of blood/death**

**...**

There was a wall in the Lair. A strong, high wall that was always surrounded him and blocked out everyone else. It had been created out of need, the need to make himself as unnecessary as possible so, when he finally died in some grungy alleyway at an ungodly hour in the middle of the night, they wouldn't mourn him for too long. If they even found out, that is. Perhaps a good Samaritan would find him and bury him in peace, without even bothering to remove his helmet out of respect. (Hey, let a guy hope.)

Morbid and cowardly? Yes. Absolutely necessary? Hell yeah.

Even with his helmet mounted on the shelf- right next to the huge turtle head-, The Nightwatcher would always live on in the secrets it held and in the spirit of Manhattan as a whole. Even if it was out in the open for anyone to see and touch, it was forever closed off from prying eyes, loyally keeping the vigils of two people- one man, one reptilian.

So no one would ever know about Merryweather. Nor would anyone ever catch wind of the blood on his hands and his paranoia-induced need to keep looking over his shoulder on certain streets when he went off on his own at night. And that was how it was supposed to be- how it should be- how it would always be.

Even still, the loss of his vigilante rights was more than a little worrying. Now they all knew what he had been doing all those nights, and now they had a reason to keep an eye on the news. He could still sneak out, true, with Casey or by himself, but if he went out too much they might start guarding the doors. He already felt guilty enough for almost taking out Leo, he didn't need to add to it by hurting Donnie or Mikey unprovoked.

Pacing and training were always options, but they didn't help him find peace of mind and rest quite like going out and busting heads did. He could drink until he dropped (man, did that sound good), but then he'd get lectured by the pure and holy leader in blue. That left nicking sleep aides from Donnie's med cabinets, but he hated being drugged up, and Donnie would notice the drop in pills. Guy probably counted them every night, the jerk...

That left the age old blaring-heavy-metal-until-the-sun-was-up-and-he-was-practically-deaf tactic. Ineffective, but better than nothing.

With that in mind, he stood and trailed down the hallway without so much as a goodnight, the wall shifting and following him. While most would consider it oppressive or binding, Raph personally found it soothing. Familiar. Like a dog with a routine.

"Raph?"

A door cracked open. He jerked, shifting sideways to look over his shoulder at the three turtles staring after him with a single golden eye. "Yeah?"

"Where are you going?"

"Bed." He stretched, feeling a few joints snap and pop. "Y'know, like I do _every night_?"

It was true enough. He'd always gone to bed at the strike of nine. To prepare his gear, usually, or to get a head start on loafing until morning.

Was he tired? Not really, but habits as simple as these were the hardest for him to break.

Leo winced slightly, as though he'd snapped or yelled at him instead of answering, and patted the couch seat next to him. "Yeah, but... We were planning a family movie and video game marathon. Soda, pizza, violent games and movies..."

"So?"

"So, that includes the whole family." Donnie answered, crossing his arms. Raph tensed. He and Donnie haven't been getting along very well for almost three years now, and they were both still wary around each other. Things were looking up between them, don't get him wrong, but habits are almost as hard to break as walls.

"Eh." He shrugged. "Not really in the mood. Maybe next time."

Mikey clapped his hands together, bouncing on his feet. "Come'on, Raph, _please_. I got a couple of those action movies you've been dying to see." He bribed, giving him the famous 'well,-you're-screwed' puppy-dog eyes.

He frowned. Mikey and explosion-filled movies. His two greatest weaknesses, and not always in that order.

Well, it wasn't like he'd had anything interesting to do, and he could probably fall asleep on the couch after a couple hours of never ending sugar highs and high scores. Spinning around with a long suffering sigh, Raph loudly made his way to the couch with a death-walk shuffle. "_Fine_. But only this once."

"Yes!" Mickey scrambled down the hall. "You too, Master Splinter! Come'on!"

Raph rolled his eyes and flopped onto the seat a few cushions away from Leo. A brick slipped free from the cement holding it in the wall.

It would take years, and a lot of work, but even the tallest of walls can fall. But, for now, only one small brick slipped free from the others, rolling heavily to the floor with a small poof of dust.

A brick was a damn good place to start.

**No flames! Don't like don't read! Review!**


End file.
